4 men enter guilty pleas in murder at motel

Broderick Smith was the last of four defendants to enter a guilty plea for murder in the death of 26-year-old Wesley Scott Lester on Friday, but for a few moments it was not known if he could continue in the proceedings as he began to cry and wail loudly in Judge Kerry Russell’s courtroom.

Before Russell even began the hearing Friday morning, Smith, 20, started crying loudly as he read the paperwork detailing the plea deal stating he would be confined to 15 years in prison.

As Russell began, the crying got louder. The judge stopped what he was saying and told Smith he knew some people would be upset and others only put on a show, and he couldn’t tell if the man was truly upset or not.

“Only God knows,” he said.

After speaking with his counsel, Smith told the judge he was ready to continue and Russell accepting the plea agreement and sentenced the man to 15 years.

Russell heard all of the cases Friday of the men charged with gunning down Scott at the American Inn on West Erwin last June during a robbery of the victim for his drugs.